Hinge.



J.' mmm-LL.

HINGE. APPLIOATION Hmm Nov. 27, 190s.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

muznkov/ HNGE.

application led 1I ovember 27, 1908.

Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Bee. i359.

To all whom 'it may concern:

it known that l, Jorrit lmrniann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in lrlinges; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in hinges, and particularly to hinges for furniture such as chairs, foot rests and the like, and has for an object the provision of a hinge proper and means for permitting an automatic adjustment thereof.

Another object in view is the provision of a hinge having pivotally mounted members and a pawl for looking the pivotally mounted members against movement, together with means for unlocking said pawl when the hinge is brought to a predetermined position and holding the pawl in an unlocked position until the hinge has been adjusted to another predetermined position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a hinge proper, a pawl for locking the hinge proper against movement in one direction, and a controlling member for unlocking the pawl and holding the same in an unlocked position until the pawl has been moved to its extreme rear position.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair having my limproved hinge secured thereto, parts being broken away to better disclose the location of the hinge. F 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the hinge shown applied to a chair. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a hinge shown in a different position to that disclosed in Fig. 2. Fig. 4t is a top plan view of a pawl and locking means forming part of myI improved hinge.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 1 indicates a chair of any desired construction having a seat 2 and a back 3. The back 3 is hinged to seat 2 by a hinge proper 4 formed of hinged members 5 and 6 having the usual pintle 7 for holding the same together. Pivotally secured to hinged memby a threaded pin 8 is a pawl 9 formed with teeth 10 of any desired form for engaging a stop or lpin 11 rigidly secured to hinged member 6. lily this construction and arrangement of hinge proper and pawl the back may be moved to a position, for instance as shown in Fig. 3, and the pawl 9 will hold the same against further rearward movement. if desired the back 3 may be pulled farther' toward the frontuntil pin 11 engages another of the teeth 10, or if desired the back may be pulled forward until pin 10 is resting against the farthest forward tooth.

./.fis will be clearly evident pawl 9 will preventl any reverse movement of back 3 until the same is raised o pin 11, and in order not to require the occupant of the chair to manually raise pawl 9 and movebaok 3 t0 an inclined or rearward position a looking and operating member 12 is provided. Locking member 12 is formed with slots 13 and 1d which accommodate pins 8 and 15. Pin 8 passes tirough locking member 12, pawl 9 and into hinged member 5 by which it is supported or held in place, preferably by being threaded in position. Locking member 12 is pivotally and slidably mounted on pin 8 and is also pivotally and slidably mounted on pin 15 which is secured to pawl 9 and movable therewith, so that when back 3 is pulled forward to substantially the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 locking member 12 will move until the upper end of slot 13 is engaging pin 8 and the upper end of slot 14 is engaging pin 15. Dun ing the movement of back 3 to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 hook 16 is continuously engaging stationary pin 11 which causes the movement of pins 8 and 15 in their respective slots 13 and 111. By this movement pawl 9 is moved away from pin 11 and is held away from pin 11 by the friction of locking member 12 against the pawl. is clearly seen in Fig. t locking member 12 which is made preferably of spring material is slightly bowed and by tightening up on pins 8 and 15 a greater or less friction may -be brought to bear against accidental movementunder the action of gravity. After back 3 has been moved to the eXtreme forward position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the teeth 1() brought to a position in line with or above the edge 17 of locking member 12 the back is then moved rearwardly to its eX- treme rearward position.v Vhen back 3 reaches its extreme rearward position lug 1S strikes against pin 1l and as the movement is continued rearward pawl 9 will be moved forward and downward, pin 8 pressing forward on the pawl and pin l5 acting against the slot 14 which acts as a cam and forces pin l5 downward, and also the pawl until one of the teeth 10 is in engagement with pin ll. The back 3 then may be moved toward the front to any desired extent and teeth 10 will pass over pin 11 successively until the forward movement of back 3 has ceased, the pawl preventing any reverse movement of the back. From this it will be observed that back 3 may be adjusted forwardly to any desired degree but cannot be moved rearwardly until the same has been moved to its extreme forward position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and then to its extreme rearward position. After the back 3 has been moved to its extreme rearward position the back may be adjusted forward to any desired extent.

What I claim is:

In a hinge, a hinge proper, a pawl pivotally mounted on one part of the hinge proper, a stop rigidly secured to the other aliadas part of said hinge proper and adapted to be engaged by the teeth of said pawl, a locking frictional member arc-shaped in construction arranged with a portion of its convex face bearing against the said pawl, said locking frictional member being formed with cam slots in each end thereof, and pins passing through said slots with heads adapted to bear against said locking frictional member so that by tightening or loosening said pins the amount of frictional engagement between said locking frictional member and said pawl is increased or decreased as desired, said pins also acting in said cam slots for causing said pawl to be raised out of engagement with said stop when moved to the rearward extreme, said locking frictional member holding said pawl out of engagement with said stop until said pins acting in said cam slots positively move said pawl.

In testimony whereof I' affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN FLINDLL. l/Vitnesses M. D. KENYON, JOHN C. FLINDALL. 

